Madonna Is Directing A Film About A Sierra Leone Orphan Turned Ballerina And Beyoncé Dancer

This woman's story is unbelievably beautiful

Deadline has reported that MGM recently found its director for a film titled Taking Flight, a feature based on the real-life story of Sierra Leon orphan who grew up to be a world-renowned ballerina Michaela DePrince. The story is based on DePrince and her adoptive mother’s memoir from 2014, Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. It was now revealed that the script, written by Camilla Blackett, will be adapted for screen by Madonna. Yep, that Madonna.

The story of this remarkable woman goes something like this: At the age of three, DePrince’s father was killed by rebels during Sierra Leone’s civil war, with her mother dying of fever and starvation a week later. All three of her brothers died at a young age, and her uncle sent her to an orphanage. When she was eventually adopted by an American family, they helped her achieve her dream of getting into ballet. DePrince would eventually go on to make her debut at the Joburg Ballet in South Africa, and even more recently, she’s appeared in Beyoncé‘s Lemonade.

Madonna recently said in a statement about the forthcoming film: “Michaela’s journey resonated with me deeply as both an artist and an activist who understands adversity. We have a unique opportunity to shed light on Sierra Leone and let Michaela be the voice for all the orphaned children she grew up beside. I am honored to bring her story to life.”

This is definitely going to be the legendary pop star’s highest-profile directorial project to date. Madonna previously directed the 2008 comedy Filth and Wisdom​ and 2011’s W.E.